22. “Wanted Dead or Alive” by Bon Jovi
26. “Walking Down Your Street” by Bangles
29. “Head to Toe” by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
34. “In Too Deep” by Genesis
35. “Heartbreak Beat” by Psychedelic Furs
38. “Lean on Me” by Club Nouveau
40. “Just to See Her” by Smokey Robinson
42. “Lessons in Love” by Level 42
55. “Let’s Wait Awhile” by Janet Jackson
61. “Something So Strong” by Crowded House
65. “The Final Countdown” by Europe
71. “Heart and Soul” by T’Pau
93. “Only in My Dreams” by Debbie Gibson
95. “Don’t Give Up” by Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush
The Impossible Fortress Eighties Covers Playlist
I also played around with this list, a collection of eighties hits covered by more contemporary artists. There are some fun pairings here:
1. “Just Can’t Get Enough” by Nouvelle Vague
2. “Handle with Care” by Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins
3. “Gone Daddy Gone” by Gnarls Barkley
4. “The Boys of Summer” by The Ataris
5. “Hold Me Now” by Duncan Sheik
6. “In Between Days” by Ben Folds
7. “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by STRFKR
8. “Heaven” by Meg Birch
9. “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)” by The Postal Service
10. “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Taken by Trees
11. “I’m on Fire” by Electrelane
12. “Addicted to Love” by Florence + the Machine
13. “Kiss on My List” by The Bird and the Bee
14. “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by The Wind and the Wave
15. “Save a Prayer” by Eagles of Death Metal
16. “Head Over Heels” by New Found Glory
Enhance Your Book Club
1. The Impossible Fortress has drawn comparisons to classic eighties teen comedies like Say Anything, Can’t Buy Me Love, and the films of John Hughes. Watch a few and discuss them with your book club. In what ways does The Impossible Fortress pay homage to those films? Do you think The Impossible Fortress would make a good movie? Who would you cast as Billy and Mary?
2. In chapter 12, Mary explains to Billy that her mother created a mixtape in the waning days of her illness and that the “track list was a sort of poem.” Discuss the songs on the mixtape. What messages is Mary’s mother sending with them? If you created a mixtape for a loved one, what songs would you put on it and why?
3. In chapter 4 when Billy tells Mary, “I didn’t think girls liked to program,” she tells him that “girls practically invented programming” and provides several examples, including Jean Bartik (who did pioneering work on ENIAC, the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) and legendary video game designer Roberta Williams. Learn more about these women and discuss their contributions with your book club. Were you surprised, like Billy, to learn that women played such a large role in the field of computer science?
4. To learn more about Jason Rekulak and play a version of The Impossible Fortress game, visit his official site at jasonrekulak.com.
JASON REKULAK was born and raised in New Jersey. He has worked for many years at Quirk Books, where he edits a variety of fiction and nonfiction. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and two children. The Impossible Fortress is his first novel. To learn more and play a version of The Impossible Fortress game, visit jasonrekulak.com.
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2017 by Jason Rekulak
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address Simon & Schuster Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition February 2017
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The maps on pages 53 and 75 were illustrated by Doogie Horner.
Jacket design by Will Staehle
Author Photograph © Courtney Apple
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Rekulak, Jason, author.
Title: The Impossible Fortress / Jason Rekulak.
Description: New York : Simon & Schuster, 2017.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016014482 | ISBN 9781501144417 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781501144424 (trade pbk.) | ISBN 9781501144424 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Teenage boys—Fiction. | Teenage girls—Fiction. |
Friendship in adolescence—Fiction. | Geeks (Computer enthusiasts)—Fiction. | Computer games—Fiction. | GSAFD: Humorous fiction.
Classification: LCC PS3618.E57275 I47 2017 | DDC 813/.6—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016014482
ISBN 978-1-5011-4441-7
ISBN 978-1-5011-4443-1 (ebook)
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